The Washington Supreme Court reviewed a legal dispute over the environmental certification required to build a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac), which involved filling approximately 50 wetlands with over 20 million cubic yards of material. The case centered on whether the Washington State Department of Ecology's water quality certification provided adequate assurance that the project would not violate state water quality standards under the federal Clean Water Act. The court ultimately upheld the certification while affirming some, but not all, of the additional conditions imposed by the Pollution Control Hearings Board.Open full document
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Washington State Supreme Court decision reviewing the Pollution Control Hearings Board’s ruling on Ecology’s Section 401 water quality certification for the third runway construction at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The court examines whether there is reasonable assurance the project will not violate state water quality standards, and upholds some PCHB-added conditions while reversing others. The case involves filling of 50 wetlands in the Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Des Moines Creek watersheds.